For the past seven days, I have been missing from the Blogosphere. I haven’t done any blog-related reading, writing, posting or commenting. I haven’t published my regular Sunday Guest Post. I wasn’t traveling. I wasn’t too busy. I didn’t suddenly tire of blogging. And, thankfully, I didn’t spend another week in Technology Hell.
Why the absence? It was an experiment.
I am passionate about writing. I love reading. And I am deeply inspired by connecting with like-minded thinkers.
Still, I was curious.
Like so many deep passions, blogging is a time commitment. A significant one. What would I be doing if I wasn’t blogging? Since I began blogging only six months into my retirement (and those first six months were consumed with returning home from overseas, setting up our new house and reconnecting with friends and family), I really didn’t know. Perhaps one week was not long enough to find out – but I was willing to give it a try.
From February 2 – 8, I went about my regular routine. The only difference was that I logged my time for everything that I did each day. Absolutely everything! At the end of the week, I charted the data that I had recorded. The summarized results looked like this.
Then from February 9 to February 15, I went cold turkey. I engaged in no blog-related activities. Zero! I allowed myself a maximum of thirty minutes per day on my computer/devices. I tried to use this time very wisely. Once again, I logged my hours and charted how my time was spent. Here is that data.
What did I discover? Anyone could argue that a single week could be a one-off. It could also be argued that wanting to see a difference, I participated in activities with that goal in mind (…which I did actually do). Still, this exercise helped me to gain valuable insight. I was surprised not only by the differences between the two weeks, but also by what remained the same.
I had expected an increase in sleep. However, there was little variation between the time logged in this category for each week. (This is significantly more sleep than I believe that I normally get…was that a fluke or did the more conscious use of my time contribute to that perceived difference?) As I did not add new categories, the remaining sections each absorbed the extra time. (Social/Community increased by approximately 8 hours, Household Tasks by 7, Self-Care by 5, Exercise by 5, Errands by 4 and Eating by 1!)
Reading held the most significant time gain (an increase of over 9 hours in one week). But here, things also stayed remarkably the same. I thought that instead of grabbing my computer/device in the mornings, I would grab my yoga mat, or engage in some other new and exciting activity. But…on many days I grabbed my book and curled up in my comfy chair, just like I usually did with my devices. Ditto for my after dinner routine!
I had set three goals for my week of blogging hooky. 1) Do something that scares me. 2) Rekindle an old love. 3) Do something that I have always wanted to do but hadn’t yet tried. In the fear category, I planned to give hot yoga a try. Not only did I not do that, I only went to yoga once in the second week (two times less than usual). I did, however, go to the golf driving range with Richard…a definite fear that I (and our marriage) survived! In the rekindling category, I visited both a local museum and art gallery – something that I would like to continue on a more frequent basis. I also went five-pin bowling with friends — which was a blast! Regarding my third goal, I have always wanted to read about meditation and give it a conscious try…separate from yoga class. Somehow, I have kept procrastinating on this. Early in the week, I picked up a simple introductory guide to meditation and gave it a try. The results were much more noticeable than I had anticipated. I plan to continue to explore this further. As a bonus, Richard and I hit several spots along the ’39 stop Nanaimo Bar Trail‘ in Nanaimo, BC. Hey, no judging! I also tried my hand at making Indian food for the very first time…and Richard helped with the naan bread. Yum!!
Do I have any current plans to abandon blogging? No. The enjoyment that blogging brings me cannot be denied. Since my December dip in Blogging Hell, I have consciously been trying to better manage my screen time. This simple experiment has given further testament to my need for balance…and my need to remain vigilant in maintaining this balance.
What would a log of your current hours reveal?
Highlights Shown Above: Day 1: A quick trip to Vancouver. Day 3: Making Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan Bread. Day 4: Bowling with Friends. Multiple Days: New restaurants to try and new routines to explore. Days 0 & 7: The makings of a brand new Thursday Walking Group.
Day 6: Scenes from the ‘Nanaimo Bar Trail.’
Retirement Reflections 
Loved your experiment…..think I have to give it a try! Hate to see the results, we do way more down south then a winter at home! Already counting the days to head south next winter!
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Hi, Georgia – I found that I did need to brace myself for the results (especially at the end of the first week)! 🙂
I’m glad to hear that you will head South again next Winter. We will be in Palm Desert next year as well. When will you be there?
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I’m not sure. I fall into “black holes” of interest. Right now it’s researching ancestors. When that gets old or I hit a wall it may be gardening time. Something will suck up the extra time and I don’t know if it will be something all that challenging. It is an interesting test though.
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Hi, Kate – Thank you for commenting. I know what you mean about ‘black holes of interest.’ While I was still working, I began to research our family tree via Ancestry.com. Many late evenings, I would still be lured to stay up to an ‘unreasonable hour’ in pursuit of another ‘sprouting green leaf.’ I then put this away for my retirement…but haven’t yet opened it up again. It is on the list though!
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Welcome back, Donna! Thank you for sharing your experiment and the results. I thought about logging my time but haven’t done it yet. I keep just about all of my activities in my calendar. At a glance, I’m pretty sure that I’m not spending 3 hours/ day on blogging.
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Hi, Natalie – I must admit, logging my hours so closely was a bit of a drag…but the results were much different than I had anticipated. Usually, it was the small fragments of time that added up to be more significant than first realized. I am glad to be back and am off to read ‘Sharing Love’ now!
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Welcome back Donna! I wondered what was up when there were no updates on your blog, and then especially when there was no guest post on Sunday. I’m glad to hear it was a planned break and not another trip into Technology Hell. This sounds like a very interesting experiment, and one that we could probably all benefit from periodically. I have on occasion kept close track of all spending for a month or everything I eat or drink and am always surprised at how the little things add up. I imagine it is the same with time. I’m glad you’re back though. I missed you!
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Hi, Christie – That’s so kind of you. It is great to be missed!! You are right — those tiny-weeny fragments that at first seem to be innocuous–can add together to form significant chunks. It was definitely a valuable experiment!
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I missed you Donna! What a great experiment to undertake and a brave one at that! The Mathematician would commend you on your activity logging and your results, that’s if he ever read any blogs 😊 which he rarely does (even mine!).
The purpose of seeing how your time was distributed was interesting. Since retiring I often miss feeling productive and blogging gives me that feeling. When I read, write or simply engage with others, it fulfills a need and I feel connected. Does that make sense? I love nothing more than curling up with a good book but I consider that a relaxing activity whereas as blogging is a more active one in some ways, despite sitting at a computer for hours on end!! I am aware and am making a conscious effort to reduce screen time and soak up the life going on around me but like you I have no plans to give up my blogging life at the moment. Great post to wake up to this morning. Many thanks!!
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Hi, Debbie – Your statement about blogging fulfilling a need and causing you to ‘feel connected’ makes total sense to me! Thank you for your kind words and your warm welcome back. I am sure that The Mathematician would be horrified by my crude pie charts…but they did provide much insight–so definitely served their purpose! I’m off to check out “Sending Love Around the World’ now!
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What an interesting experiment! It was fascinating to see what you did instead of being on the computer. I think if I did the experiment I would probably sleep more. In spite of how time-consuming the blog has become, it definitely provides advantages such as connecting with others and engaging our thought processes. Enjoyed your posting!
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Hi, Fran – You are right — blogging does provide many advantages (and computers provide incredible convenience). I need to remind myself of this right now as I have barely left my computer today (blog writing, blogging catch-up, email catch-up, vacation planning, etc. etc.). Thank you so much for commenting, I always love reading your point of view!
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What a great experiment, Donna. For the last year, I have been curious about how much time my fellow bloggers spend online and with blogs. Three hours a day seems like a lot and I’m sure most of that is spent reading and commenting – all enjoyable but time-consuming, indeed! What were your other computer-related chunks, taking up another 20 hours?
It seems like reading is one of your passions, either online or in hard copies. I think that would be the same way I’d replace blogging related time as well, if I were to cut it down. How did you categorize social media (other than blogs) in the first week, or does that fall under computer-related time? All very interesting! And, I think in the summer, the comparison might be different as well.
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I always look forward to reading your insightful comments, Liesbet. This one was no exception.
The first week that I used as my ‘baseline’ week, I was working on a research-based guest post for another site. Writing that post did take a chunk of time. As you say, reading other blogs (which I love) and commenting on other blogs (which I also love) also accounts for a significant piece of time — especially to do this in a meaningful way.
Apart from running my own blog, I run a Website and Facebook Page for our local Newcomer’s Association. Working on that, plus reading/responding to emails, paying bills on-line, making trip preparations on-line, ‘over-Googlizing’…and of course time spent on Social Media, all contributed to the 20 hours of non-blogging computer/device based time.
I agree with you that summer weather may also impact the results…although being an ‘Island Girl’ I am very used to walking/hiking in the rain! 🙂
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You’d love the Arizona and New Mexico desert right now, Donna! Vancouver Island temperatures and rain! Not kidding. For three days straight already. I know it is needed by the plants and appreciated by the locals, but, as a visitor hoping to soak up the sun for these last days in a while, we prefer sunshine. 🙂
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I would LOVE the Arizona and New Mexico desert right now (and I have just learned to keep my shoes inside 🙂 ).
Your room is ready anytime that you and Mark would like to visit. June, July and August are highly recommended!!
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Thank you! We do have that in the back of our minds, and hope to make it up there one of these summers. As long as we and Zesty remain out West, the possibility exists. 🙂
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Super excited to hear that!
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I am inspired, Donna! I will definitely give this a try here. Starting Monday, I’m going to log in my week of activities then cold turkey the next. Looking forward to seeing what I’m going to get up to because I know screen time takes a lot of my down time. Great post!
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Yahoo!! I am excited about this, Jess! I can’t wait to hear about your results. Good luck!!
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I missed you Donna, and I’m not really doing much blogging at the moment! Good for you to take some time off. I don’t have the data as closely researched as yours, but I can safely say since I have been on my blogging break, I’ve gained at least 10 hours a week. And I don’t dream about blog ideas any more 😉 Obviously, I’m still reading a select few bloggers and I am posting once a day on instagram, but the overall time I have gained to put back into my class really reaps the rewards. In fact, I’m going to a blog event for Sacramento Bloggers this weekend, to get some inspiration. Glad to read you got to do more things…there is always a healthy balance to everything we do.
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Hi, Terri – I am thrilled (and deeply honoured) that you have continued to follow my site even during your blogging break. I miss you too and will continue to follow you on Instagram. Enjoy the Sacramento Bloggers Event — I’m jealous!
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Who can argue with Chicken Tikka Masala???! This is a timely post for me, Donna, because it was only last night that I laid in bed considering whether or not to put my blog on another hiatus. I decided not to, but recognize that for me it’s not the writing but the reading of other blogs that take up too much of my time. But I do like to support other bloggers, and from them I do get inspired. So it’s a vicious circle on protecting your own time and interests. I haven’t come to any conclusions… but I do know one thing: I’ll never create graphs as cool as yours! Great read, great post.
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Hi, Marty – Your comments always make me laugh out loud! They also make me think. I am very glad to hear that you have decided not to put your blog on hiatus. I wish that I had a perfect answer to the ‘vicious circle’ question. I do believe that this little corner of the blogosphere is an incredibly supportive community – so you define your own boundaries and no one will judge you (well…maybe a little bit…but it will be very warm-hearted)!
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It did strike me you weren’t around. Welcome back! I spend far more time reading other blogs than writing my own and keep thinking I should cut down and read more books, but it’s how to do that. I tried a “one in, one out” approach but it didn’t really work. You are all too interesting!
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Hi, Anabel – I totally agree–the members of this blogging community are incredibly interesting. It’s hard to cut back on reading once you’ve started.
BTW – What is the ‘One In, One Out’ Approach?
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I mean that if I start following a new blog I have to get rid of an old one from my list. Very hard! I do a purge every so often but the ones I get rid of are usually dormant so it doesn’t really help.
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Thanks, Anabel – That makes sense — and I agree would be very, very hard to do. I do try to be extremely careful in following new blogs — but then something resonates and my list grows again!
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We certainly missed you, Donna! This is so interesting. I’ve never kept track of the number of hours put into blogging. I did learn several years ago that posting twice a month works much better for me and it leaves me more time to visit other blogs. I could give up Facebook, but I don’t think I could step away from blogging. I truly love the interaction and the opportunity to learn more about people from all over the world. When I started my blog in 2012, I had no idea that I’d meet so many amazing people who’ve actually become great friends. Thanks for sharing your results!
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Hi, Jill – Thank you for your warm and support comment. I agree, it is an amazing blogging community and it’s been a true delight meeting so many great people (like you)!
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Hmmmm… I was wondering where you were 🙂 ! What an interesting experiment, and it’s so you to keep track of your time so carefully! I know that I spend too much screen time. I’ve tried to cut back (like Anabel’s “one-in-one-out” approach) and have been marginally successful. I am reading more books, though, which I love. Anyway, I love that you’ve had some fun adventures while away, but I’m happy that you are back!
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Hi, Janis – Thank you for your kind words and warm welcome back. For me, it definitely was an interesting experiment. But tightly logging the hours was a real drag!
I look forward to your Guest Post this coming Sunday.
BTW – What is “one-in-one-out”?
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I’m guessing it means “start following a new blogger, must stop following one.” I’m up to over 60 (!!) blogs and I just get overwhelmed. As Anabel said though, it’s hard to do that since there are a lot of interesting blogs out there (many which I probably haven’t discovered yet). Yikes!
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Yes, that’s what I meant!
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Following 60 blogs is very impressive!! I regularly follow, and comment on, half that number and although I love it, it does take much time. I enjoy this blogging community so continually try to find my balance.
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Fascinating experiment, Donna. I’ve often wondered what I would do if I wasn’t blogging. I have dreams of learning to play the piano or taking up line dancing, but I think I’d be curled up with a book or flipping through Netflix.
Hmmm…That’s a blogging plus I never thought of before. It provides me with a great excuse for not trying to learn/practice/do any of the things I’m actually too damn lazy to do 🙂
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Great point – Aimer! Blogging does give a good excuse to avoid things that we think we want to do, but perhaps really don’t want to do after all (read here: Hot Yoga)! 🙂 I rarely watch TV/Netflix/etc. (although I did go to the Cinema twice during my non-blogging week). That gave me a definite lack of screen time last week….which despite my best intentions I started making up for today! I greatly appreciate you dropping by and commenting.
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It’s interesting that you felt the need to do this and what you discovered as an end result. I’ve wondered about blogging too, but I’ve found that it is something that I use to fill my spare time – it doesn’t take away from things that are important to me. I love the connections and using my brain in ways I wouldn’t if I was sitting in front of the TV or even reading. I have a lot of leisure time, so using a few hours of it each day on my laptop doesn’t phase me – altho’ I do wonder what I’ll replace it with when my blogging muse finally shuts down and retires itself???
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Hi, Leanne – I greatly appreciate your thoughtful comment. I enjoy blogging for all of the reasons that you have mentioned. Still, I struggle to find my balance. My biggest motivator for this experiment was your final question ‘what would I do if not blogging’? At least I know that I (currently) would not be bored! 🙂
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This was a very interesting experiment. Good to have you back. Glad to hear you’re not abandoning blogging. Shared your post ♥
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Hi, Dee – Thank you for your kind words and your warm welcome back. I appreciate you sharing my post — you are absolutely amazing at always doing this!
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This is a great exercise and one that I force myself to do from time to time. The alternative is that one day I wake up bored and don’t know why. Thanks for the reminder to pay attention to balance.
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Hi, Suzanne – I greatly appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Waking up bored has never happened for me yet and like you I dread that. I am off to read ‘My Valentine’ now!
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Donna, I did these kind of exercises at work to see where I was really spending my time and always found them interesting b/c little things seemed to add up. And, this week would be horrible to do this – I’m spending way too much time on the couch watching the Olympics! (I’m not usually a big-time TV watcher. )
I also know that when I get involved in other stuff, I do let my blog reading slide down a bit…more-so on the commenting. I’ll read and like but not comment. Or just ignore it if the topic and first paragraph isn’t compelling. Some folks I never ignore though! (It’s always interesting to look at your own habits, isn’t it!) And my blog posting will slide as well when I’m caught up in other stuff – especially since that means responding to comments which takes time.
I guess I’m not sure how much time I spend in the blog-o-sphere, but I do know it varies quite a bit week to week. I’ve never set a “must post on Sunday” criteria on my blog either. Maybe folks would like me to, but OMG… is my blogging more spontaneous in nature than planned?!? LOL. The planner in me is aghast, but happy.
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Hi, Pat – Thank you for your very thoughtful and insightful comment. You are absolutely right — the little things do add up in a surprisingly big way! I also agree that some weeks are worse to measure than others. The week that I used as my baseline, I was working on two guest posts that I had been asked to do for other sites. One of these posts was heavily research based so definitely upped my time. I am super glad to hear that the planner in you has resisted posting on a specific day of the week. Well done! 🙂
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Donna, I, too got a little freaked out, especially when there was no Sunday Guest Post! Glad it was only temporary. The “care and feeding of a blog” takes a tremendous amount of time, and I’m still struggling with how to make it all fit together with the other activities.
Now, for the really important stuff! I actually had to Google what the heck a Nanaimo Bar is! OMG! This may now be the deciding factor in getting us to travel back to Canada!!! How in the world did I not discover this beautiful creation on our other Canadian vacations! Oh…and I’m really glad you took a shot at the driving range! I’m hoping hubs gets a little more interest, as golfing together could make for a fun “couples” activity we could do together in retirement! ~ Lynn
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HI, Lynn – Thank you so much for your kind comment. It feels nice to have been missed! And thank you for commenting on the Nanaimo Bar Trail. It is so cool! Now you will definitely have to come visit me on Vancouver Island and we can do the trail together! 🙂
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Hi Donna! I LOVE experiments and so appreciate your charting your time and how that felt deep-down. I couldn’t help but wonder if some of your results would have been a bit different if it was “summer” rather than winter. I find that when days are shorter I tend to put in more screen time than during the summer when I have more excuses to be outside. Would you agree? And I’m finding something that works for me is that I signed up for another yoga class (I normally go once a week in the morning) and this one is in the evening. So far it gets me out of the house and away from the “screen” and then on another evening Thom and I are playing pickleball which does the same. So giving me set appointments or “outings” is a practice that is working for me and I’m also having more fun. Oh, and I joined TWO book clubs and that forces me to make the time to read where I often wouldn’t take the time. Anyway, what whatever we can do to feel our time is valuable is good…and I agree that we are ALL happy to see you back and at it! ~Kathy
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Hi, Kathy – Thank you for your detailed and insightful comments. Liesbet asked the same question as to whether the results may be different in the summer. By Canadian standards, we live in a fairly mild climate and I am very used to be outdoors in all kinds of whether….but still, your point is a good one. I like your suggestion to schedule yourself into things that you love and/or want to explore further. I too am in two different book clubs (and I am way to nerdy to show up without reading the book), so I agree that that is another great strategy. And thank you for your warm welcome back, I greatly appreciate it!
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What an interesting experiment. Having just retired (again) last week, I’m very aware and a little frightened that I may slip into the habit of spending inordinate amounts of time blogging, exploring, and sometimes (often) absolutely wasting time online, so perhaps a little monitoring and measuring may be required. And some discipline.
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Hi, Christine – Congratulations on retiring (again)! I agree that a little monitoring (and some discipline) are helpful for attaining (or at least striving to maintain) balance. Wishing you a great retirement ahead!
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What an interesting experiment. I have been cutting back on my screen time and trying to live more in the moment. But, I do find once I start reading blogs, it’s easy to get absorbed and lose track of time. Good for you, welcome back, and thanks for giving us something to think about.
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Hi, Karen – “Living more in the moment” is a great motto to live by. I also agree that blog reading can be addictive – there is so much fabulous writing and provocative ideas out there!
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Hi Donna I did miss you! However, I am so impressed that you actually took the leap and undertook this experiment. I am constantly battling with myself about blogging and how much of my time it eats up. I love the connections with people but I also feel the weight of responsibility to my subscribers. They have subscribed to read my thoughts and hopefully look forward to my visits to their inbox. However, this last weekend we went away for a few days and I didn’t really have time to think about the blog. I loved your pie chart and you have really made me think. I’m not giving up yet but you have helped me come to a couple of decisions I have been procrastinating about. Have a beautiful week, my friend and keep enjoying life! xx
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Hi, Sue – I was deeply touched by your text last week checking to see if I was okay. That was incredibly thoughtful of you. I do wish that we were able to meet for coffee and a chat in real life — we may not come up for air!! I am honoured to hear that my post helped you to come to some decisions that you have been grappling with. I can’t wait to read more.
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Hi Donna,
Thanks for such an interesting and insightful post. And apologies for a few days delay in replying. Like Kathy, I love experiments and am in the midst of one of my own with RAW NEWS. The difficulty is exactly as you have said – the time required to read and comment on posts gets hefty but is so difficult to resist in this wonderful community we’ve got going.
So I’m experimenting with sitting down once or twice a week to read and comment on several posts. It’s not working all that well because I can’t stop myself from reading the post when it first arrives in my inbox, which means I’m being super inefficient reading and then letting it sit there until I read again and comment a few days later. Aargh.
Your week away from blogging sounds so idyllic to me. I can’t imagine giving up blogging, even for a week, but I’m definitely on a quest to spend less time at the computer. It really wreaks havoc on my neck and shoulders. Lots to ponder.. with thanks for being the one to stir the pot.
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Hi, Karen – Thank you so much for your wise comments. It has been very interesting (and reassuring) to read all of the different systems that other bloggers have been attempting to be more efficient with their screen time. I love this generous blogging community where we can learn so much from each other. I also adore that this is a community where very quickly ‘everyone knows your name’ and regulars are missed in their absence. I greatly appreciate your additions to this dialogue.
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The Nanaimo Bar Trail sounds like something I could really get into! Yum! I can’t even remember the last time I had a Nanaimo bar.
I’ve been a blogger for 5 years now, and I think I’ve become much better at balancing my time between ‘blogging time’ and ‘living time’. Sure, there are occasional days when I seem to spend the bulk of the day in front of the screen, but I’m better at balancing it out by full days of ‘doing things’. After all – that’s what my blog is supposed to be about – doing things. More often than not, the time I spend ‘doing things’ exceeds the time I have available to blog about it … and that’s probably the way it should be 🙂
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Hi, Joanne – You offer wonderful hope that I will be able to balance out my ‘blog vs other activities dilemma’. When you next visit Vancouver Island, I would be delighted to introduce you to some great hikes….as well as the ‘Nanaimo Bar Trail”. 🙂
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What an interesting experiment Donna. Since I started blogging two years ago I know for a fact that a lot of things have changed, I read less books, I’m not as fixated on the housework (that’s gotta be a good thing) but I do spend a lot of time on my devices. I guess that’s why I enjoy camping so much as it gives me a chance to disconnect but I’ve never gone as long as this. I’m sure my days would look different, though it’s hard to know.. I do try and balance out my time and being outdoors and walking is a big part of that. I love that you set yourself goals too, very inspiring. It was interesting to read your charts and the difference in the time spent in each category. Thanks for a wonderful and thought provoking post.
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Hi, Miriam – Thank you so much for adding to the discussion. From regularly following your posts, I agree that your camping, love of the outdoors, music, etc. all provide a great balance for you.
BTW – I also agree that less fixation on housework is a good thing.😊
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A very interesting experiment as well as dialogue in the comments. You were missed and it is nice to see you back. I ebb and flow in blogging, balancing my screen time when we are in and out of port. I’d actually hoped to be offline right now happily sailing toward The Andaman Islands but our rig had other ideas. We sit in port waiting for a piece to be fabricated. Looking forward to getting underway and unplugging for a bit soon.
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Hi, Lisa – I need to surround myself with your calmness and your wisdom! Sending positive vibes your way that you are able to set sail soon!
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Sounds like you’re suffering from PTSD from your week in “Technology Hell”
I love blogging because it gives me a creative outlet. Besides writing, I’ve enjoyed taking and using photos to help enhance my posts.
But… I do feel the need to step away. Blogging takes a lot of time. Sometimes, I just want to read a book, go for a hike, or just watch TV. Your experiment was a wonderful idea. Sometimes our priorities change and knowing where we spend our time and energy is a great way to see if we may want to make some changes
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Thanks, Laura – I ❤️ the creative outlet and the connections as well. It’s just the time commitment and the balance that I am trying to work on. The experiment was very helpful in multiple ways. I greatly appreciate your thoughts and insights.
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Without a doubt, blogging takes up a big amount of my time, but I do enjoy it and it continues to bring in the fun I first had when I discovered it. I gone through peaks and troughs with it and even once thought of quitting it, but I got the balance right and no longer ever feel guilty if I don’t read and/or comment on all the posts of the blogs I follow. It’s just not possible to do and should never be seen as a chore.
I admire you for doing what you did, Donna. It was nice to see that all parts of your life (except sleeping) got a slice of the time you freed up by not blogging or going on social media. Had it only been one or two parts that had got all the spare time, then I believe you would have found yourself at a new crossroads?
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Hi, Hugh – I admire the balance that you have created for yourself regarding blogging. I’m not fully there yet — but hopefully I’m on my way!
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Keep going, Donna. You’ll know when you’ve found that perfect balance.
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Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hugh. I greatly appreciate it! 🙂
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Donna, I am glad to hear that you have decided to continue with blogging. I always enjoy reading all of your excellent posts as well as the guest posts.
I too have been indulging in way too much screen time lately. Watching the Olympics obsessively has not helped!
Hmmm, the Nanaimo Bar Trail? Here I am living in the land of Nanaimo bars and I have never heard of it. I’ll have to seek it out, (despite the threat to my waistline).
Jude
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Hi, Jude – Thank you for your kind words. Let’s plan to do the Nanaimo Bar Trail together. It’s my idea of a great hike😎
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Hi. I came here from Sue’s Over 50s Lifestyle blog. Your title drew me in. I love blogging, but truth is, I spend too much time on it as primarily I’m an author. I’m busy with a book that I think I’ve spent about two hours on in two weeks! I’m tempted (but scared) to try documenting my time, but it’s probably the right way to go. Then to take a week off the Blogosphere. Hooboy! Yeah, just maybe! Sometime. Thankful Thursday & Click to Tweet
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You can do it, Shirley! It’s easier than you think (okay, logging the hours was a bit of a drag…but the rest was more painless than imagined). The results were much different than I had anticipated….and remain a very valuable lesson. Good luck!
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What an interesting post. I was pulling for you to get more sleep but was surprised when you didn’t. Yay for reading more. But that makes me sleepy so I would definitely get more sleep if I quit blogging. Ha!
I am trying to get my computer stuff done…blogging, writing, devotional, email, FB, etc., before noon, while throwing in loads of laundry, making the beds, small chores. After lunch I try to get in some exercise, housework, errands run, dinner prepared. And I am trying hard to be unplugged by 9 pm. Ooops, I am late doing so today.
Very interesting!!
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Hi, Leslie – i really did think that I would get more sleep, but with 8+ hours sleep during my ‘base week’….that may have been time hopeful! It sounds like you have a good plan in place, as well as allowing yourself flexibility where needed. Well done!
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